The History of Payon
by Eruda
Summary: Basically what it sounds like: how Payon became what it is, and the origins behind Munak, Bongun, and Sohee. Multiple chapters.
1. Introduction

The History of Payon  
  
I  
  
This is a tale about a world long ago. Before Prontera was a bustling metropolis. Before the War of the Witch and Comodo's colonization. Before Al De Baran was even dreamed of. The city of Glast Heim was the capital; beautiful and stately, with gorgeous fountains and flower gardens all around. Not far from Glast Heim was the Tower of Geffen, a fortress for those who wished to study the anti-physical. To the north were the mines, rich in ore and precious stones, a maze of tunnels snaking through the pristine Mt. Mjolnir. To the south, an expansive desert, dotted with oasis. A beach ran along the southern shore, curling up around the eastern side of Rune-Midgard. It is near this beach, that our story takes place, in the beautiful uplands town of Payon.  
  
Payon was seen as the frontier by the people of Glast Heim. It kept a tribal system as well as a class system, but one tribe reigned over all others. It was quite complicated, and small civil wars were not uncommon. However, Payon was typically a peaceful town, beautiful and lush, set like a glittering emerald in the crown of the forest.  
  
During one particularily strange summer in Rune-Midgard, demons began rustling in the underworld. The tiny inn and toolshop known as Prontera was burned to the ground more than once. News leaked from the south, of strange beings wandering the desert and the marshes near the sea. In Payon, at the temple, a horrific being awakened one night and nearly destroyed the entire city. Only by chance was the demon imprisoned under a statue from where it had come, but the damage had been done; many people were forced out of their homes just as autumn was setting in.  
  
In the winter after the demon woke, Payon was besieged by both terrible snowstorms and cold, and a violent plague. Most of those wounded by the demon were struck down; children were especially susceptible, as well as some adults. Even the palace was not safe, as we shall see, for that is where my story really begins. 


	2. Chapters 2 to 4

II  
  
The tribal leader that winter was Sun-Kwai, a strong and intelligent man. He'd been at the frontlines of the battle against the demon, and had the scars to prove it. He was a kind and gentle leader, though merciless against those who broke the laws or attacked his city. Though not the best bowman, he was a fine strategist, and moderately good with a sword.  
  
He had a beautiful daughter, the finest young lady in the city. He'd entertained suitors from as far away as the mines, but none seemed right for her. Unfortunately, the few who did...  
  
Sungmi stepped into the chief's chambers and bowed. The high priestess of the town shrine, she was a very talented healer. "I'm afraid that her highness's suitor has died. The plague, sadly."  
  
Sun-Kwai sighed and leaned against a chest. His daughter would be inconsolable. "Take him to the burial ground. Await orders there. I must go tell her."  
  
Sungmi sighed and nodded. "As you wish, sir." She said, bowing and leaving quickly.  
  
The chief gathered himself and stepped across the hall, slipping into her room. The beautiful princess sat at her mirror, brushing her hair and humming a song. She glanced up at her father, smiling expectantly, waiting to hear him say that her future husband would live.  
  
He sighed heavily. "Sohee.."  
  
III  
  
Brown hair and red cloth spilled into the snow, as the young girl squealed and dodged the snowball. She rolled over and sat up, throwing a snowball back at her attacker. It deflected easily. She laughed and stood, snow covering her. "You meanie, that's not fair, don't use your skills for snowballs!"  
  
He laughed. Brown-black hair framed a soft pale face, his blue eyes accented by his dark blue clothes, showing which tribe he belonged to and how. "Well, what am I to do, you throw hard!"  
  
The younger girl stuck her tongue out at him, throwing another snowball at him while he was distracted. It hit him in the face and he stumbled, coughing and laughing. "Yeah, but you're a boy, you can handle a little snow!"  
  
He smiled, sitting and stretching, the cold air rushing against his play-warmed face. She was so adorable and precious, with her long brown plait and her shining eyes. She belonged to another tribe, one on good terms with his; she was being groomed to be a lady of the tribe, as he was the lord of his since his father died fighting the demon. He loved her dearly; it didn't matter that she was so much younger, and wouldn't be of marriageable age for another three years at least. He could wait, he wanted to study in Glast Heim anyway, learn a skill beyond simple martial arts, be able to support his young wife and their merged tribes..  
  
A snowball pelted him in the chest, and he sat up, just in time to see red cloth disappear up the tree. He ran over and kicked the tree hard, the sole of his foot landing solidly against the frozen bark. A mountain of snow fell, surrounding him, and he could swear he'd heard a screech. Reaching into the cold, he pulled out a braid, followed by an angry girl. "Why'd you do that, be glad there was snow, you're mean!"  
  
He laughed and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile; he was her best friend, always so warm and kind to her, even when the other village girls were cruel. She knew he wanted to leave, and she planned to stow away with him, see the world, have adventures. She hated the idea of being ladylike and stuck at home all the time.  
  
Neither of them heard the guards marching up, flanking a palace aide. He cleared his throat, and the two children looked up. "The chief wishes to see Lord Bongun of the Kuman tribe in the palace. Please come with me."  
  
Bongun looked at her and smiled. "Run on home, and warm up. I'll come over later and we can play games, okay?"  
  
She smiled and hugged him tightly, then let go and curled up. "Have fun, give his majesty my regards!"  
  
He walked off with the palace aide, looking back and smiling, just for a second, before returning to his facade of officiality and maturity.  
  
"Munak.."  
  
IV  
  
Sohee knelt before the altar in the temple, clasping her hands together in prayer. Her long beautiful black hair shimmered in the candlelight, accenting her fair skin and delicate features. Her tears hadn't quite dried, and they sparkled slightly in the dim light.  
  
She was tired. Tired and miserable and desperate for something new. She was only twelve years old, and had been betrothed six times. Tragedy had struck down each of her suitors; archery accidents, bandits during travels, the demon of the past summer, the plague.. she didn't want it to keep happening. It was getting bad enough that her father had ordered prayers for her to lift her curse. True, she already had another suitor, her seventh, but she wondered how long that would last. It was said that he already had eyes for another noble girl, a member of a skilled archery tribe that had lived in Payon for generations.  
  
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the fire settle on her eyelids. The cold snow had already melted and dried from her, and she envisioned herself being enveloped in fire, cleansed by it's everlasting heat. "Please remove the taint that keeps me from marrying", she whispered, shivering.  
  
Images flashed over the inside of her eyelids, and she gasped. She saw a huge beast, and an explosion, and the beauty and grace of Glast Heim being destroyed forever. She saw crowds of people clogging a city that she supposed was Prontera. Beastly men and women charging across the desert and through the forests, waving swords and maces and books, calling for the deaths of anything in their path. She struggled to see only Payon, see who would be the next chief, but she could only see death and devastation.  
  
She caught herself as she fell back, shaking and staring at the fire that still flickered and whispered secretly to itself. What did it all mean? What was that world? 


	3. Chapters 5 to 7

V  
  
Munak curled up in the gazebo overlooking Payon river. Wisps of her beautiful dark brown hair fluffed around her face, and she pushed it back behind her ears, annoyed. Resting her head on her arms, she sighed and narrowed her eyes, drifting into contemplation.  
  
Bongun had been gone for a long time. She'd been at home for hours since he left for the palace; she'd bathed and dressed her baby brother, brushed her mother's hair, helped cook dinner, even helped her father make new arrows and listened to his stories about battles won and lost, and far away places, and demons even scarier than the one that had ravaged the village the summer past. He hadn't shown up at all, and it was already dark; the only light she had came from the small lantern she had brought with her. She heard the wind moaning softly below her, in the river's canyon; it promised a windy, snowy day, maybe even a blizzard. She wasn't too worried for her own family, but the other families in the village concerned her. So many had lost their homes to the demon's anger and violence. The palace had offered to house most of the families, but she knew there were others out in the cold. She felt sorry for them, but didn't know what to do. Her home was small, and her family was huge: herself, her parents, herbrother, a sister that lived in Glast Heim and came by often to visit, her grandmother, her aunt and uncle, a great-grandmother who lived upstairs, and four cats. There was simply no room to take in another family, without it becoming painfully cramped in the house.   
  
Her family was influential, but not terribly so. Her father claimed to be descended from a prince who had run off to marry a common girl, and had been subsequently exiled. The current Chief recognized her father's talents with a bow and arrow, and appointed him to a noble position on that virtue only, ignoring the rest. Her mother was also from a noble position, being the daughter of the former high priestess of the village shrine. As it stood, Munak would be more influential than both her parents when she came of age, and even more so once she married. It was basically a given that she'd marry Bongun; their families were very close, and they had known each other all their lives. It was Bongun's father, the former Lord of Kuman, who charged headlong into battle with the demon that summer, slaying her minions left and right and managing to brutally wound the demon herself, before meeting his fate at the monster's hand. The former Lord was appointed to position of Prince posthumously, and his only son, Bongun,became the new Lord and the unofficial prince.   
  
Sighing, she flopped onto her back, staring up into the dark rafters and yawning. She was sure he'd see her light and come to the gazebo. He had to. He'd promised to come back soon for her.  
  
Before she knew it, the little girl had fallen asleep.  
  
VI  
  
Bongun, too, was exhausted.  
  
Lords and ladies alike plied him with yet more wine. There was so much food to be eaten, but after just a little, he was tired. He wasn't sure if it was the wine, or playing with Munak all morning. He just wanted to leave. He'd go to Munak's family's house and sleep in her room, on a pile of blankets near her bed; they'd sit up for hours, and he'd describe the riches of the palace to her, and she'd smile sleepily at him and play with his hair. Just the thought of her soft, innocent smile and loving gaze lulled him deeper into slumber, and he yawned for what must've been the hundredth time that night.  
  
The Chief, he noted, also looked like he didn't want to be there. He had barely touched his food, and drank a lot more than anyone else. He kept glancing at Bongun, then glancing away and muttering to one of his advisors. The Chief loved the young lord like a son, especially after his father's heroic battle, but now, he hadn't even spoken to him. Upon arrival, it had been an endless line of jubilant nobles and wineglasses and dishes of various kinds and singers.   
  
Bongun had about settled himself to sleep against a pillar when the Chief stood, clinking his wineglass uneasily and calling everyone to order. He barely roused himself, then sat bolt upright when he heard what was being said.  
  
"We are gathered here tonight to announce some very sad and very happy news together. Earlier today, my beloved daughter Sohee's betrothed died of the plague which has ravaged our village for so long. However, I have already chosen a new suitor for her. Please come out, my darling." The Chief shouted, holding his arm to the side and feeling his heart swell.  
  
Everyone caught their breath as the door was slid open and the small princess emerged. Sohee simply smiled at everyone, hiding her face behind the long sleeves of one of her beautiful dresses. Elaborate pins and ribbons tumbled from her beautiful black tresses, spilling down her back and over the floor like a blanket of silk. Bongun gasped, filled with awe; he'd been to the palace many times, but had never gotten such a good look at the much-rumored princess. She had an elegant, refined air, but at the same time, she was so perfectly innocent and gentle, and infinitely delicate, maybe more so than Munak. He smacked himself mentally. Munak was better. She was laughter and joy and happiness and life, not some pretty statue on display. He had to admit, though, the princess was extraordinarily beautiful.  
  
The chief was beaming. This was always the response people had to Sohee; awe and amazement and wonder at such a beautiful young girl. His pride swelled, both from the wine and from his ego, and he gestured into the crowd, smiling. "The suitor that I have chosen for her is here tonight, in fact. Please, my boy, come up and meet your bride!"  
  
Someone shoved Bongun, and he caught himself before he could fall. He stood, a bit unsteady from drink and tiredness and confusion. He felt two strong hands around his arms, and he was pushed forward through the crowd, only to find himself standing before the Chief. He knelt and lowered his head, embarrassed and confused. What would her suitor think of him! Worse, what could Sohee be thinking? His face burned at the thought.  
  
It took a few seconds before he realized that the hall had burst into applause. He glanced up through his bangs to see who the lucky gentleman was, and saw only the Chief and Sohee. Sohee was staring at him, her face deep red and her sleeves brought up even higher than usual, so only her eyes showed over them. The Chief was clapping, and grasping Bongun's hand, pulled him up. "I am so pleased to welcome you into the family! The wedding will be the first morning of spring, when the trees begin to blossom and grow again. Congratulations, and welcome!"  
  
Bongun's heart sank. What about Munak? Why hadn't anyone asked him? He glanced at the princess. It was said that any man engaged to her would die somehow or another. He certainly didn't want to be next. The wine from earlier surged through his head, and dizzily, he felt himself get swept up in the cheering crowd of nobles.  
  
VII  
  
Advisor Parras was not a happy man.  
  
He rushed through the castle carrying a stack of papers and scrolls, stopping every few minutes to pick them up as they fell. He was late for the meeting, and the other councilmen of Glast Heim would not be pleased. He grabbed another scroll before it could fall, and ran into the room, dropping the papers and scrolls on the table. One unrolled and bumped into a woman from Geffen, who glared at him angrily, sparks of enchanted flame dancing in her eyes. He mumbled an apology and sat down, hiding his face by straightening the papers.  
  
King Tristam cleared his throat and glared at Parras. "Speaking of which, he has just arrived. Parras, can you give us some information about the goings on of the past summer and this winter in the southlands?"  
  
Parras stood, pulling out several papers and unrolling some scrolls. "The town of Morroc has been quiet. Too quiet, I say. No merchants we have sent there have returned. I fear something terrible may have happened, and I advise an invasion as soon as possible. Weather shouldn't be a problem, as Morroc is quite warm in the winter-"  
  
Advisor Hamad of Morroc stood, smacking his hands down against the table. "ABSURD!" he shouted angrily. "Sograt Desert is nothing but a massive sandstorm in the winter; when it's not, it's so bitter cold there. You're confusing Morroc with the South Marshes!"  
  
Tristam cleared his throat and glared at Hamad, who sat down. "Continue, Parras."  
  
Parras unrolled another scroll. "The port at the new city Alberta is coming along smoothly. We have had no trouble, but then again, we haven't really explored the area around the port. I advise sending teams out searching for supplies. We can't afford to simply ship everything in."  
  
Tristam nodded. "As soon as it's summer, we'll order scouting teams sent out. Sixteen thousand zeny if they find anything of merit." Four recorders behind him jotted it down.  
  
Parras pulled out a heavy book and sighed. This would be the worst. "Payon was attacked by a demon over the summer, as you may have heard. The current Chief of the village managed to slay it, but not before most of the village was destroyed. A plague has settled into the village, and has taken many lives, including those of three noblemen from here who went to marry the princess of the village."  
  
Tristam nodded gravely. "Anything else? Was the demon destroyed, or imprisoned?"  
  
Parras gulped. "I believe it was imprisoned. The dialect in that part of Rune-Midgard is so different from here, that I couldn't really understand them. Some said it was destroyed, others said it was imprisoned. I can't really say."  
  
Advisor An Chi stood. She had come all the way from Payon to have her say. "The demon, named Fox Princess, was not destroyed. The Chief managed to imprison her underneath the village shrine, but she couldn't be destroyed. Four lords died in the fighting, and we believe the demon released a terrible plague upon the village to kill everyone else. The plague has settled on the princess in the guise of a curse, and any suitor of her's dies. The Chief has also confided to me that the demon is still trying to escape, and may indeed escape her captivity before long."  
  
Parras glanced at the king. An Chi sighed and sat back down, staring morosely at the table. Finally, Tristam spoke. "Something awoke in the hidden caves near Prontera and has caused havoc there. A ghost of sorts is haunting Geffen. Morroc is completely unresponsive. Payon is being held hostage by a demon. Even we are not totally safe from this change in the world; strange things have been happening in our city as well. I fear for us all."  
  
A woman near the back cleared her throat and stood. Advisor Suzette Kafra, of Prontera, glanced around at everyone and blinked nervously. "The caves are far enough away from the city as to expand Prontera without fear of attack, but to make sure of this, we could have the finest wizards in the land go to the caves, and change them so it's impossible for the being there to escape."  
  
Hamad growled. "That helps Morroc none. For all we know, the city could be completely destroyed."  
  
An Chi glanced at Hamad. "Glast Heim can send an army into Morroc to find out what's going on. Merchants can be easily subdued, but not an entire army. Please calm down, dear Hamad; we haven't forgotten your city."  
  
Hamad slumped in his chair, sulking. "Shut up, An Chi, you don't know anything about-"  
  
Tristam held his hand up, silencing the Morroc advisor. "An Chi's right. We'll send in an army as soon as the sandstorms die down. At least one thousand knights and crusaders will go. That should be more than enough."  
  
An Chi beamed. Hamad glared at her and sulked. Parras glanced between them, then cleared his throat. "Which leaves the question of Geffen and Payon.."  
  
The fire-eyed woman from Geffen, Marisol, stood. "We have already tried to take care of the problem on our own. Ten strong wizards were sent into the Geffen Tower, which the ghost haunts. Only one returned, and he was crippled for life. All scouts we sent in never returned, and we only know this from our blighted comrade; it seems to be the ghost of a swordsman, of great talent. He's so fast that not even our best wizards can hold a cast on him, and he's so strong that he defeats all ice and firewalls. We're at a loss as to how to defeat this monstrous being."  
  
Tristam nodded. "A real quandary. Geffen Tower is fairly small and cramped. We'll send in fifty swordsmen and one hundred of our finest priests, as well as about twenty crusaders, as soon as the snow thaws. Keep the tower sealed shut until then."  
  
Marisol nodded and sat down, a pleased expression over her sharp features. An Chi rose again, not looking quite as happy. "We still have the problem of the Payon demon. I suppose priests could be sent in, your majesty, but it's entirely possible that they'll be infected too. We have exactly two priests left, of the ten that used to guard the temple, and one is showing signs of the sickness. I haven't the slightest idea what to do."  
  
Tristam sighed, shaking his head. "Have the best alchemists in the land begin mixing potions. Bring some corpses in for examination, maybe we can figure out how the plague works on people. If the plague leaves the valley, though, we'll have to call an emergency meeting to find out how to contain it; until then, it seems to be contained only to that area."  
  
An Chi sat down, rubbing her temples and writing furiously on a scroll. Parras pulled all his papers together and stood, as the king rose and clapped his hands, adjourning the meeting. 


	4. Chapters 8 to 10

VIII  
  
A fit of coughing forced Munak awake. She sat up, finding herself in her bed at home. She felt cold where the air touched her skin, but under the blankets was hot. Shivering, she curled up on her side and stared out the door of her bedroom.  
  
She heard metal clinking against ceramic, and soft singing. Her mother seemed to be cooking breakfast, from the smell of hot rice and seasoned Peco eggs wafting in. She could see her grandmother and great-grandmother sitting together, each petting one of the kitties and talking together quietly. She heard the front door open and close, and voices rose in the other room, followed by the sound of stomping feet. Her father was home, but someone else was stomping too..  
  
A sharp pain shot through her head, and she winced, curling up more and closing her eyes. A few seconds later, a cold hand rested on her forehead, and she squeaked, recoiling from the cold. A familiar voice shushed her, and someone sat on her bed. Opening her eyes, she saw it was Bongun, holding a handkerchief full of ice to his head and looking very worried.  
  
"Bon.." she whispered, frowning. Her voice sounded rough and hoarse, and her throat hurt when she tried to speak.  
  
"Shh, shh Munak. How are you feeling?" He murmured, touching her hot cheek with his cold hand.  
  
Her mother came in and held a small tin cup to her lips, and Munak drank the honeyed tea. Swallowing, she tried again. "Bongun, where were you yesterday? You didn't come back, and I was scared.."  
  
He glanced away, biting his lip and looking angry. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, everything will be fine. Your father said he found you asleep in the gazebo early this morning, why did you sleep there?"  
  
"I didn't mean to.." she said, her voice swallowed by coughing.  
  
There was a great commotion in the main room, then Sungmi and an apprentice came in, carrying incense and bottles. Bongun stood and backed away, standing against the wall and watching. Munak sat up, coughing again and shivering violently. "Back away, this room is quarantined, back off. She's very ill", Sungmi said, setting down the incense burner and opening a bottle. She thrust it to Munak's lips, urging the girl to drink it.  
  
Munak drank as much as she could, the bitter syrup gagging her, then pushed Sungmi's arm away and coughed several times. When she finished, she licked her lips, tasting blood. "mh.. Bongun.."  
  
Bongun sighed and closed his eyes tightly, pressing the handkerchief harder against his head. "I'll be in the main room helping your mother finish breakfast, Munak. I'm only a nuisance in here."  
  
Munak looked up sharply, then fell into another coughing fit. "No, please, don't go, Bongun, come back.." she said through her coughs, as Sungmi tried to make her finish the bottle of medicine.  
  
He stepped out of the room and shut the door, taking a leaf from the yellow herb plant growing near the stove and eating it. His head pounded and his stomach kept feeling weird. The Chief had given him a small scroll, to give to Munak's parents and sever their ties, but he couldn't bring himself to deliver it, especially not now. Sitting down, he picked up one of Munak's cats and placed it in his lap, scratching the kitty behind it's ears. He couldn't understand it. Why had she slept outside and put herself in such grave danger?  
  
Sochi and Kanmei, Munak's grandmother and great-grandmother, smiled at him. "You've come to visit the little Lady, have you?" Sochi said teasingly, her soft brown eyes sparkling in the firelight.  
  
Kanmei sat up straight, taking a bowl of fast-boiled Peco egg from her granddaughter. "She was so anxious for you to come see her, I do hope this is nothing but a Winter Chill, and not the plague. She always gets Winter Chills, she shouldn't play outside when it's so cold. But then, she takes after her mother, so what can you do."  
  
Bongun smiled weakly. The two old women were always a great pleasure to talk to, and possibly the wisest women in the village. "She's quite resiliant, I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
Kanmei smiled, spooning up the egg and nodding. "But enough about her, where did you go yesterday? I'm sure I saw you going to the palace on my way back from visiting friends. And you don't seem well at all."  
  
Sochi nodded sagely. "Drink-sickness, I'd say. You haven't fully opened your eyes since you arrived."  
  
Bongun glanced away, making sure Munak's parents weren't listening. "Some palace aides dragged me to the palace yesterday, and proceeded to fill me with wine and food. They had some presentation, but I'm certain I didn't understand it. Something about the princess. In any case, I'm not leaving Munak's side until she's better. I'll even sleep here if I can."  
  
Sochi clapped her hands together and sat back, looking at him. "That's right! The princess's suitor died of plague! I'd about forgotten, it wasn't really huge news, she's lost what, five? Six?"  
  
Kanmei squealed and leaned closer to him. "So who's the new future Chief? Come on, you can tell us, we won't tell a soul."  
  
Bongun blushed and looked away, remembering what had been said the night before..  
  
~"Lord Kuman.."  
  
Bongun sat up. He was in an opulently decorated room, on a pile of the fluffiest blankets he'd ever seen. Rabbit feather, he'd guess. "Where.."  
  
A small hand grabbed his arm and he glanced over, jumping from surprise. Princess Sohee smiled at him, blushing deeply. Her dress was slightly different, and her ribbons had come slightly undone, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful. "Lord Kuman, are you well?"  
  
He blushed and looked away, scratching the back of his head and looking longingly at his hat. He had to leave, and fast. Things were getting out of hand. "Um.. yes, Princess, I'm fine, thank you.. I guess I had too much to drink, but I feel fine now, I really need to get going, I have to get home.."  
  
Her hand squeezed his arm tightly and he looked at her. The Princess's face was set in angry determination, and she glared at him. "You aren't leaving, no way. It's too late for you to leave anyway. Stay with me."  
  
He blinked, then blushed deeper and threw the blankets off. His shoes were gone, he had to find them. "Princess, I'm sure I don't know what's going on, but I really must be going, I have to meet someone."  
  
The Princess grabbed him, and he fell on his back, Sohee on top of him. She stared at him, her face no longer placid, but almost angry. He opened his mouth to protest, and she kissed him, silencing anything he could say. After an eternity, she pulled away, sitting back and still holding his wrist. "You're my husband. I won't let you leave, ever. I love you. Don't you love me?"~  
  
"I have news."  
  
Bongun looked up, the memory broken. Sungmi stood at the door, her apprentice at her side. The bag was full of empty bottles, and a handkerchief sticking out that had once been white was red. Munak's father spoke first, voicing Bongun's worries. "Is she going to be okay?"  
  
Sungmi bit her lip. "It's the plague. It's the first day, though. There have been two other patients that were treated on the first day, and lived; both were adults, though, so I'm not sure it can work with her. If she does live, she'll be crippled for life. It seems to have settled in her lungs worst, so she may have a hard time breathing or doing any physical activity if she survives. I need to get more potions and send a message to some friends in Prontera to come here and help."  
  
Bongun stood. "But she could live?" He asked, his voice hoarse, and Sungmi nodded.  
  
Munak's mother leaned against the low table, her hand on her heart. "Oh thank the Gods.."  
  
Sungmi glanced around. "I want everyone to bathe tonight and move out of the house. Stay in a friend's house, do whatever. This building is condemned. When spring comes, burn it down and build a new home. Fire is the only way to eradicate the plague, it seems."  
  
Sochi and Kanmei glanced at each other. The house had been in the family since Kanmei's birth, and she didn't want to let it go. "Is there any other way?"  
  
Sungmi shook her head. "The fever comes because the body is trying to burn itself clean of the plague. Likewise, the house must be burned to be cleansed of the plague, otherwise everyone will be stricken. I'm sorry."  
  
Bongun turned, touching Munak's mother's shoulder. "Your family can stay in my house for the rest of the winter, I'll stay here with Munak."  
  
Sungmi raised an eyebrow. "Everyone includes you, my lord. You can't expect to stay here, you'll get sick too."  
  
Bongun stared at the ground. "I'd rather be sick with her than be healthy without her. Not even the demon can move me from this house."   
  
Sungmi sighed and nodded. "So be it.. I'll return with medicine soon." she said, and with that, she left.  
  
Bongun slipped into Munak's room and took her hand. A bit of blood had dried at the corner of her mouth, and he wiped it away with a corner of her blanket. She opened her eyes, staring at him through a cloud of delirium. "Bongun.. I don't want to die.."  
  
He hugged her tightly, clutching her to his chest and burying his face in her hair. To Hell with Sohee and the Chief, he thought. He would never leave his dear little girl. Sohee could marry no one and be a spinster for all he cared. It didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was Munak surviving. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the scroll from the palace and threw it in the small stove in her room, hearing it go up in flames as he hugged his beloved.  
  
IX  
  
The church was a mess.  
  
Father Aden wandered through the corridors of the Glast Heim church. Nuns ran about, giving people medicine. A woman in a sterile suit came through every now and then with a cart, to take the dead to the church for prayers and the graveyard for burial. He could hear the cries of the damned, the moans of the sickly, the sobbing of the fevered as they begged for a little respite.  
  
He came into a room in a tower and shut the door, looking at the woman leaning against the wall. Advisor An Chi of Payon looked exhausted, and she too was coughing. She glanced up as Aden came in. "Well?"  
  
Aden looked away. "It's worse than we feared. The disease perfectly matches the one from Payon. Containment has been broken."  
  
An Chi swore under her breath, slumping to the floor and burying her face in her hands. "I tried to tell His Majesty that we couldn't bring the corpses here. I tried to warn him that it spread quickly. He would have none of it, though. He said it would be fine. Serves me right for believing him."  
  
Aden nodded and sat down at his desk, tracing his fingers over the highly carved wood. "We can confine the outbreak to the Church, but it'll take everyone down with it. Everyone will perish. I don't know how your priests in Payon do it, but we simply have no idea how to deal with this."  
  
An Chi glanced up. "I got a scroll from Sungmi in Payon. The Lady of a tribe there has come down with the plague as well, and she was petitioning Glast Heim and Prontera for help. What can I possibly tell her? We have our own outbreak, we can't spare a soul to Payon!"  
  
Aden sighed heavily. "The Church is doomed without their knowledge. I'll send some priestesses there right away to help and to learn. We have no say over what Prontera does. Send all the medicine we can spare, too. We'll do the best we can, and if it works, the priestesses can come back and use the skills learned there to heal people here."  
  
An Chi blinked. "And while they're gone? We don't know how long it'll take before they return! Payon is all the way across the continent!"  
  
Aden closed his eyes. "God save us all. Send them anyway, we'll do what we can until they return" he murmured, then stood and left to send off some priestesses.  
  
An Chi curled up against the wall, coughing and shivering. "Please hurry.. we're all dying.."  
  
X  
  
True to his word, Bongun had not left Munak's side, not even to eat. He had been feverish for a couple nights, but on the third night, his fever broke, and when he woke up, Munak was breathing a little easier. He sat up the rest of the night watching her sleep.  
  
Women from Glast Heim and Prontera flooded the building. The smell of medicine and wood smoke filled the air night and day. They'd completely taken over; the stove was constantly burning and medicine was always made, there were linens being washed constantly in scalding water, snow was scooped away from the door to make icy baths for Munak, and often they took Munak outside and scrubbed the walls and floor and furniture with boiling water, in an effort to protect themselves and their patient from being stricken again. Bongun hated the icy baths; for the three days that he'd been sick, the priestesses had insisted that he bathe in barely-melted snow, while they stood just outside the room behind a thin curtain. It was supposed to bring his fever down, but he was convinced that they simply wanted to make him suffer enough to pack his bags and leave. The second night, he'd had delusional nightmares, and attacked one nurse, screaming that Sohee had sent her. Munak had awoken, unfortunately, asking who Sohee was. Luckily, no one had told her, and she'd given up and gone back to sleep.  
  
The morning of the fourth day that Munak had been sick, Bongun stepped outside for a bit to practice his martial arts and get some air. The plague had settled in his heart, and his chest still ached from it. Nevertheless, he felt he had to practice; the bloodflow and fresh air might help him get better.  
  
He stood just outside the town gates, kicking and punching trees and waiting for a tree fairy to come around. He'd been training a while when the ground suddenly heaved upward. He stumbled, falling on his back and watched as the tree swayed, then fell to the side heavily. The ground lurched and waved under him, and he clung to the rocks under him, praying for it to stop. After what seemed like an eternity, the ground stopped moving, and he lay in the snow, trying to stop his pounding heart.  
  
After several minutes he stood shakily, and slowly walked back to the village. The people were in chaos; women and children flooded the streets, most of them bloody from falling roofs or dishes. Men ran around frantically, bows at the ready, wanting to shoot anything they perceived to be the cause. The Chief stood outside the palace, surrounded by servants, shouting at a guard. Other guards ran out the gates with their spears and bows, searching for enemies. Bongun weaved through the crowd and stumbled into Munak's house, coughing. The stove hadn't fallen, thank Gods, but dishes had tumbled from the shelves, and one side of the ceiling was sagging. He could hear Munak screaming in her room, and women rushed about, some with jagged cuts from breaking glass, trying to clean it up. He strode through the house into Munak's room, pushing some of the nurses away and pulling her up in her bed. "Shh, it's okay, it's over, it's done shaking.."  
  
"What happened?! I was asleep, and I woke up and the bed was rocking and stuff was falling and I heard screaming, I'm scared!" She cried, clutching his shirt and sobbing.  
  
"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it, it scared me too, but I think it's over, we should be okay." He murmured, kissing her hair. He looked up at a priestess from Glast Heim, who held a wet rag to her forehead. "What happened?"  
  
"It's called an earthquake, my lord. It happens when layers in the ground break or move against eachother. There may or may not be more, I can't say for sure. Does it happen often here? I know it does on Mt. Mjolnir, that's where I grew up.." She said, wincing and leaning back against the wall.  
  
He shook his head. "Never happened here, not even when the demon woke. I don't understand it."  
  
The priestess shrugged. "Well, maybe it was just building up, I don't know. We'll have to reinforce the house, though. Can you find someone to get a tree trunk to put against the ceiling?"  
  
Bongun nodded, laying Munak down and kissing her cheek before standing. "yeah, there should be someone in town with an axe who can help, let's go. Munak, I'll be back soon, just rest now." And with that, he left the room with the priestess.  
  
Munak blinked and curled up, but she wasn't sleepy anymore. Glancing down, she noticed a burned ember that must've rolled to her bed during the earthquake. Picking it up, though, revealed it to be a small wooden scroll-case. She picked open the case, pulling out the elaborately painted scroll and reading it. "What.."  
  
Sungmi entered the room, carrying a tray of tea and more medicine. "My lady, is there something wrong?"  
  
Munak lowered the scroll from her face. The kind gentleness from before had completely vanished, and was replaced by sheer anger, only restrained by her illness. "Bongun..." 


	5. Chapters 11 to 13

XI  
  
Advisor Parras sat at the emergency meeting, looking extremely dejected. The table was totally silent. An Chi's chair was empty, and Marisol and Hamad didn't look well at all.  
  
Tristam cleared his throat and looked at Marisol, his voice softened. "How did the experiment go?"  
  
Marisol coughed wetly into a handkerchief. "As well as can be expected. The ground is loose enough for an earthquake, but hard enough to do what it needs to do. There were no casualties in Payon directly from the quake."  
  
Parras gulped. "I don't think this is the best idea.. these are people, mind you. Our subjects. Close to 150 innocent people live in Payon."  
  
Tristam nodded, his expression increasingly grim. "We don't have a choice. The Church has had to be closed. Advisor An Chi has died of the plague as well. We have to protect the kingdom, even if it means destroying a part of it."  
  
Kafra sighed and glanced away, biting her lip. "Prontera has lost at least three of its best healers. Even if they never get sick, they can't go home. They'd just carry the plague back with them."  
  
There was silence, then Parras noticed the king had buried his face in his arms. "Your majesty.."  
  
King Tristam looked up, angry and tearful. "Marisol, I leave it to you. In three days, we'll make total containment of the village. I'll send a courier right away to warn the chief to escape with his family, but they're the only ones allowed out. The plague will end there."  
  
Marisol nodded and stood, weakly walking out. There was cold silence for several seconds then Tristam sobbed and buried his face back in his arms. All anyone could do was wait.  
  
XII  
  
Sohee smiled as she sat before the mirror, her favorite servants brushing her hair. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining, the snow was melting, she could even hear some small birds. Winter was finally easing up, and soon, so soon, she'd be married.  
  
Bongun had gotten better. She repeated it in her head until she thought she'd scream from joy. He was the only suitor who'd had the plague and lived. And he was hers, she would be married soon. Squeaking in happiness, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly, closing her eyes and smiling.  
  
There was a soft rapping at her door, and a servant went to answer it. She returned with a scroll, and a puzzled expression. "A member of the Kuman tribe has sent this, though it wasn't the Lord.. he just left, I didn't catch his name, forgive me."  
  
Sohee took the scroll, barely responding with a nod, and examined it. The seal wasn't of the Kuman tribe; she'd forgotten the name, it was some tribe descended from a priestess long ago. It was bound with blood red ribbon, and a sprig of belladonna had been shoved between the paper and the ribbon. She untied the ribbon and read the elegant if childlike handwriting on the scroll -   
  
~Princess Sohee,  
  
I challenge you to a duel for Lord Bongun's hand in marriage. I have been promised to him since I was a small child, and I find it exceedingly rude that you and your father, the Chief, would disregard this fact and separate us. If you do not accept my challenge, I shall have to find other means of regaining what you are trying to take from me. Send a scroll back whether you accept or not; if you do, we can negotiate a date for the duel.  
  
Lady Munak  
  
Tenmu tribe~  
  
Sohee narrowed her eyes, crushing the paper slightly in her hands. The servant doing her hair glanced up. "Your highness?"  
  
She glared into space. "Bring me a palace messenger and another scroll. I also request a white ribbon and a sprig of ment. Do so immediately."  
  
The servant girl finished her hair and bowed, leaving the room. She returned with a writing box and the requested ment, and Sohee wrote in beautifully flowing script -   
  
~Lady Tenmu,  
  
It's amusing that you'd challenge me like this. I suggest you eat this ment and forget that you ever knew Lord Bongun. You are of no consequence to the world, and far below my recognition. Why, I hadn't even realized that there was a Tenmu tribe, let alone did I know the name of the heiress. Do go out and play, and I hope to receive lots of nice presents from you at my wedding to the future Chief.  
  
Have a wonderful day.  
  
Princess Sohee~  
  
Laying down her brush, she smiled and read it over again, then rolled it up and tied the ment to the scroll. The messenger took it and ran off, and Sohee stretched, opening a screen and looking outside. Yes, the world was kind to her. She couldn't wait to be married.  
  
XIII  
  
"KYAAAAAA!"  
  
Bongun ducked as he entered Munak's house, avoiding a flying ceramic bowl. He held up his hand as three small knives flew his way, and they deflected easily. Taking a defensive stance, he cautiously made his way through the broken dishes and bottles to Munak's room.  
  
Pushing aside the curtain, he stepped inside, only to be greeted by a bowl of hot water being thrown at him. He couldn't dodge it in time, and it hit him full in the face. Gasping and wiping his bangs out of his eyes, he looked at his beloved, who stood on the bed in her nightgown, clutching a scroll and screaming. Her face was red and tearstained, and a burned scrollcase lay on her bed. His heart sank. He'd forgotten to remove the Chief's note from the case before throwing it in the fire. "Munak, er.. calm down, tell me what's wrong.."  
  
"BASTARD!" She shrieked, jumping off her bed and running into him. She began pounding her fists against his chest angrily, her brown hair flying messily behind her. "HATEYOUHATEHERHATEYOUBOTHDIEDIEDIE!"  
  
He sighed and grabbed her shoulders, only to be smacked across the face. Closing his eyes, he pulled her against his chest, pinning her arms between them and stroking her hair. "Shh.. shh.. I know.. I hate myself too... I'm sorry, Munak, I'm so sorry.."  
  
She hiccuped and continued sobbing quietly against him, hitting him weakly every once in a while. "Hate her.. hate her.. why.."  
  
He pulled her onto her bed, sweeping away broken glass and cradling her on his lap. "I didn't have any choice, Munak. They got me drunk and threw me before the Chief and the Princess. I wasn't allowed to leave until the next morning. I'm so sorry.. I meant to tell you, but when I returned, you were sick already, and I decided to wait until you were better.."  
  
She pressed her hands against her face, crumpling the scroll. "I am better, I can take her on, I'm fine.."  
  
He shook his head. "No, you aren't, you're still unwell. Where did you get a ment?"  
  
She hiccuped and handed the scroll to him. "I wrote a letter challenging the princess to a duel, and she sent that back and said no. She's afraid of me, I know she is, I'll k-"  
  
He growled and stood, dumping Munak on the floor. "What the Hell is she doing sending stuff like this? She has no right to act like this. You're still sick, you aren't dueling anyone. I'll go find your nurses and have them clean everything up, then you go to bed. I'm going to the palace to set her straight."  
  
She looked away. "I told them all to go home, and threw stuff at them. I don't think they're coming back."  
  
Bongun kissed her warm forehead. "They'll come back, I'll pay them a thousand zeny each to come back if I must. I promise you, I'll be back tonight, no matter what. She's not keeping me in the palace this time." He said softly, stroking her cheek. He then turned and left the room.   
  
Munak stared at the mess on the floor, bottles and water and broken bowls and various gifts and belongings of hers. "Liar.." she whispered, touching her forehead. 


	6. Chapters 14 to 16

XIV  
  
Sohee had lain awake waiting. She'd known Bongun was coming since she heard the first shrill screams that afternoon. She had her favorite nightdress on and had her hair done up with messy ribbons. Innocent, but captivating, was what her servants had all said. She couldn't stop her heart from pounding, and she stared at the screen, waiting to see his shadow.  
  
Finally, something moved outside the screen, then someone knocked softly. A servant rose and slid open the door, and he entered. She frowned. He hadn't even taken off his hat or shoes. She sat up a bit, moving so the moonlight fell over her and he'd see her. "Lord Bongun, my love, you're finally here.."  
  
He strode across the room, lighting a few lamps. The servants roused themselves, or hid under the blankets to eavesdrop. Sohee winced and blinked, her eyes stinging from the brightness. When she finally could see properly again, she realized that her future husband was soaking wet and shivering, his shirt rumpled and messy, and he was holding a scroll. Upon closer inspection, he seemed to also be holding a blood-stained white ribbon and a ment. "Princess Sohee, what's this?" he asked, shoving the scroll in her face.  
  
She blinked and drew back, bringing up her arm to hide her face demurely behind a sleeve. "I don't know, I know nothing about plants."  
  
He opened the scroll and tapped the end of it. "Your name is signed here. This is presumably your handwriting. You mention Munak and myself in it. So why don't you know anything about it?"  
  
The princess laughed lightly. "It's a trick, of course. Someone must've written it and said it was from me. I know nothing about such things, beloved."  
  
He growled, and her smile died. He didn't even look sexy like this, the way he had the night her father had announced their engagement. He just looked angry and a little scary. Finally, he reached over and grabbed the ribbons on her nightdress, yanking the knot apart. She gasped and let her arm fall away a bit, inwardly smiling at her conquest. So it was true, that angry men always changed their minds in the presence of a beautiful woman..  
  
But his expression didn't change. He just looked at her coldly, then slapped her across the face with the ment. "You stupid witch.. you certainly like the innocent act, but deep down, you're just a desperate harlot. Consider this forced engagement ended. Munak would never act the way you do, and for that, I love her even more. You're just a pathetic desperate little girl. Find one of your servants to seduce, and leave me alone." He said, turning away and leaving. Before he stepped out onto the veranda, though, he turned and smelled the ment, then threw it at her. "Perhaps you'd benefit from this more than anyone else."  
  
Sohee watched him jump off the veranda and disappear into the night. Her servants sat like statues, looking at each other uneasily, not knowing what to do. They'd never seen anything like it. The princess had never been rejected, especially like that. Finally, one servant shut the screen and another brought a blanket to her. Sohee curled up in the blanket, then buried her face in it and screamed, agony overcoming her.  
  
She'd lost again.  
  
XV  
  
Marisol clutched the railing tightly, waves of nausea making her stomach lurch. She was less than a day away from the forest where her makeshift fortress awaited. The Peco carriage had left Glast Heim just a day previous and hadn't stopped once; her business was a matter of life or death for the kingdom.  
  
So this is the Payon Plague, she thought. The demon certainly had chosen the most painful and horrible avenues to use. Vomiting, blinding headaches, dizziness, high fevers and sudden chills, and finally blood, so much blood. Father Aden's last message out of the Church had been on paper drenched in blood, presumably from coughing. All her retainers and guards were sick as well; even the Pecos seemed delirious, getting spooked at the littlest things.   
  
Everything came to a violent and sudden stop, and she moaned, her head pounding from the shaking carriage. She stuck her head out the curtains, wincing from the bright sunlight. "What is it?"  
  
A crusader on a Peco sat at the head of the party, looking out into the distance. "We've come to the Sograt Gorge, my lady. On the other side is the fortress, and the Payon Forest. We'll have to be careful; there have been reports of hideous monsters here."  
  
Marisol nodded and retreated into the darkness of the carriage. "Alright. Get everyone across the gorge and into the fortress, and hurry. We only have two days."  
  
She sighed. What a lousy time to get sick, she mused. A lousy time indeed. Worthless animals, she'd be certain to get rid of them all. Curling up on her cushions, she fell into uneasy slumber.  
  
XVI  
  
Bongun awoke hearing a soft rasping noise. Munak's room had been cleaned and scrubbed again, so much so that he barely recalled the events the day before. His angry confrontation with the princess had haunted him, though. "Damn it all, I should've kept that ment for myself.."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
He glanced over at Munak. She sat on her bed, looking much better than she had in a good week. Her hair had been braided up, and she wore her normal clothes again. She sat cradling a heavy stone on her lap, and sharpening a long knife on it. He blinked, confused. "What's the knife for?" he asked, and she wordlessly handed him a scroll with a maroon ribbon on it, and a thin leaf of poison ivy entwined on it. Carefully, he opened it and read the writing, recognizing it immediately -   
  
~Lady Munak and Lord Bongun,  
  
It pains me that you both have chosen to challenge the throne. Very well, then, I accept your challenge. Tomorrow evening, fifteen minutes before sunset, in the sacred garden of warriors, near the temple. I shall only fight Lady Munak; Lord Bongun may only sit and observe. If you are more than five minutes late, the duel is mine and I shall reclaim Lord Bongun for my own.  
  
Princess Sohee~  
  
"She's gone mad. I told her to stop this nonsense completely last night. She really is desperate," murmured Bongun, rolling the scroll back up.  
  
Munak smiled. "She's finally agreeing to get off her cloud and fight fairly. She can't possibly win; it's not ladylike to learn fighting skills." She said, blowing dust off her knife.  
  
Bongun glanced up at her. "Then again, you've never been terribly ladylike. She'll probably cheat, you know. She'll order one of the archer soldiers to hide behind a tree and snipe you when you're focused on her."  
  
She shrugged. "I have a plan, don't worry. She won't cheat, and she won't win. What'd you do last night, anyway? You kept making noises in your sleep."  
  
He blushed and looked away. "I put her in her rightful place, is all. I told her to leave us alone."  
  
Munak shrugged and smiled, scratching her fingernail with the edge. "Perfect, nice and sharp, ready to go." She said, then turned and looked at Bongun, her face grim. "You should go outside and practice shielding against stuff. It won't be safe there. Like you said, she'll probably cheat."  
  
Bongun blinked. He'd never seen her look so serious. Her face was set in simple determination, nothing else. Her cheeks were still flushed from the fever, and she seemed both tired and very alert at the same time. He couldn't help but wonder how much she'd grown up just in the past week or so; she seemed to have lost almost all of her childlike innocence and sweetness, replaced instead by strategy and determination and anger. He felt terrible for dragging her into all of this; if she'd never found the scroll, he could deal with it himself and she wouldn't have changed. Reaching up, he took the knife out of her hand and pushed the stone off her legs, pulling her off her bed and hugging her tightly. She squirmed a bit, protesting silently, but he just sighed and petted her hair, holding her close and rubbing her back. She finally relaxed and looked up at him, and he smiled, tapping her nose. "After the duel, everything will go back to exactly as it was before, right? Please?"  
  
She smiled and nodded, hugging him tightly. "Of course. We can be happy and never have to worry again."  
  
He closed his eyes, kissing her hair and relaxing, praying for the best. He still felt a little worried, but he was sure things would work out. 


	7. Chapters 17 to 21

XVII  
  
Sohee stood in the tribal armory, looking over various armors. She wanted something that would be lightweight, but also strong. Picking up a chainmail shirt, she frowned. She certainly didn't have much selection.  
  
A servant knocked on the door and she turned, blinking. The servant bowed deeply and held out a knife. It was kept in a solid oak case, with a jewel and the tribal emblem set on the side. Two red tassles and good luck coins hung from the hilt, which was wrapped in the finest leather. Sohee smiled and took it, hugging it to her chest. "Thank you for finding it. This knife will suit me well."  
  
The servant looked away, biting her lip. "Your highness, I don't think it's wise to fight Lady Tenmu and Lord Kuman. The Kuman tribe is known for it's excellent martial arts capability, and the Tenmu tribe for their skill with both knives and archery. You haven't trained in any of those, I'm afraid you have the disadvantage, my lady..."  
  
Sohee turned and smiled. "Disadvantage, you say? Lord Bongun won't be fighting. And as for Lady Munak.." she kissed the hilt of her knife and giggled. "This knife is special. It was touched by the power of that demon. Lady Munak is still very weak from being sick, one good nick with this, and she'll be on the ground begging for mercy."  
  
The servant gasped, her eyes widening. "Y-your highness!"  
  
Sohee blinked and looked at her coldly. "What is it?"  
  
The servant girl looked away. She could swear her lady's eyes had turned blood red, like the demon's, but.. "it's nothing, your highness."  
  
Sohee nodded. "That's what I thought. Go and get my clothes ready for bed. I need to get my rest so I'll be ready for tomorrow's duel."  
  
The servant bowed and ran out. As soon as she reached the main palace, she buckled, curling up and sobbing. She was terrified. What if the plague WAS the demon? She'd never seen it, and she was scared of what her mistress had become. Crawling into the palace, she brought out the princess's nightgowns and lay in the corner, shivering and weeping.  
  
XVIII  
  
Marisol leaned over the edge of the shaky wooden balcony, coughing heavily. She wiped a bit of blood and mucus from her mouth with a paper and made a face, tossing the paper into the fire burning near her. She was getting sicker. She knew she looked terrible and she felt just as bad. It just wasn't fair. She was one of the finest professors of fire-art in Geffen, the honored ambassador to Glast Heim. She had powers beyond imagining, but she was crippled by a stupid sickness. If those savages in Payon had just left well enough alone, she thought, maybe I wouldn't be sick.   
  
Far off in the distance, she could hear her soldiers from Geffen whooping and hollering. She'd gotten the majority of them good and drunk, and given them fast Pecos. They were bait, targets to call the monster of this forest into the open. It was said that the monster dropped a leaf from a legendary tree, and said leaf would bring the dead back to life; not undead, but truly living. She smiled. Even if she died now, she wouldn't have to worry, as long as she destroyed the monster. It would give her a suitable excuse to use her powers, anyway.  
  
Leaning over the railing, Marisol closed her eyes, feeling as though she were burning to death. Shivering, she looked up, glancing at the moon as it rose. Soon, very soon, she wouldn't have to worry about being sick anymore.  
  
XIX  
  
Sun-Kwai was a happy man. He strode through the palace, throwing open screens and breathing in the air. Though still cold, the trees showed signs of early budding. He guessed about another week until the flowers began to bloom, and his daughter would be wed.   
  
He frowned. A scroll had arrived from King Tristam the night before, telling him to evacuate his family and servants to Alberta or Prontera. It didn't say why, and interrogating the messenger didn't help a bit. He figured he'd just have to take the King's word for it and leave. It was a pity, too. He hoped to be able to return to the palace in time for Sohee to get married. He would have to take the Kuman family as well, so Lord Bongun wouldn't miss them..  
  
He had been warning people all morning. The servants had packed all the chests in the palace, and more servants were making additional chests as fast as they could. A caravan was prepared to take them to Prontera, and from there they would journey to Glast Heim. Though nothing like Payon, he believed it would be just as suitable for Sohee's wedding.   
  
He stepped into his daughter's room, blinking in surprise. He hadn't seen her since her engagement, as she ate separately from him and spent all her time in her room. Her face seemed paler and drawn, and her hair less shiny. There was an angry determination in her eyes, as she sat in the middle of her room. She stared out through the screens at the outside, her favorite violet and red dress on, her hair done up with ribbons and pins once more. Her hands were folded tightly in her lap, and a writing box sat next to her, a servant hurriedly grinding some ink for her. She didn't even look up when he pulled up a cushion and sat down next to her, looking out on the world as well. "Sohee..?"  
  
She clenched her jaw. He sighed. Maybe she'd heard afterall. Uneasy silence stretched until finally she spoke, "what is it, Father?"  
  
He rubbed the back of his head, stinging. Her voice was cold and hard, sharp enough to cut wood. "Sohee, we're going to leave tonight for Prontera, then Glast Heim. King Tristam would like to meet you and Lord Kuman, something about wanting to know who his people are.. er.. are you ready to leave?" He lied, glancing at her.  
  
She narrowed her eyes and turned, taking up the brush and writing on one of the papers. "I do wish I'd had more notice," she finally said, not looking at him. "However, I will have everything packed and prepared to leave. I will be ready at sundown; I have something to attend to first, then Lord Bongun and I will be ready to leave."  
  
He blinked. The note said to be evacuated before sunset, but he was sure whatever it was could wait for her. "Very well, shall I inform Lord Kuman and his tribe?"  
  
She smiled, a cold yet sad smile. "There will be no need. I will be meeting with him soon, and I shall inform him then. Please wait outside the gates, the servants will likely be there with my belongings as well. I may run a little late, though I do hope to be done long before sunset."  
  
He nodded, then stood, stretching and looking at her as she stood. Yes, she'd grown somehow. He wasn't sure how, but most certainly.. he shrugged it off and hugged her tightly, smelling her jasmine-scented hair and sighing. "Alright. I will see you there soon. Please be prompt, dear daughter, it's imperative that we leave as soon as possible." he said, and she nodded, staring at the ground. Sighing, he patted her hair and left, closing the door behind him. Returning to his quarters, he began assisting the servants in packing the various things of the castle.  
  
XX  
  
Munak knelt before her grandmother's mirror, running an opaline comb through her long brown hair. She just needed to pull her overskirt on, then she'd be ready to leave. Since it was still cold, she kept her dark red flannel dress on, and an ancient ninja suit underneath, a gift from her father when she was very young.  
  
Her mother stepped into the room, sighing. She'd snuck back home to get some belongings earlier, only to find her daughter practicing with a knife on the tree trunk used to prop up the broken ceiling. After hearing Munak's story, she'd agreed to help her daughter prepare. "Are you ready to have your hair braided, dear?"  
  
Munak nodded, gently placing the comb back in the small jewelry chest next to her. She bowed her head slightly, as her mother knelt behind her and gently pulled her hair back. Picking up her diary, she flipped through the pages, sighing. So many memories; Bongun learning to paint and doing a portrait of her, her times at school, parties and happiness throughout her whole childhood. The book fell open, to where she'd dropped it when the demon awoke, and she read what was written there..  
  
~10th day, 6th month  
  
It's so hot here. It was hot yesterday, but it's worse today. It's worse now than it was earlier. Something happened earlier. I was sitting outside about to write in here, about something I forgot already, and I heard a high sound, like a bell. Then everyone started screaming, and houses exploded into flames across the village, and Father ran outside and picked me up and threw me in the house and barred the door. I don't know where he is. He's been gone for hours. Great-grandmother says it's a demon. She said that when she traveled in a far away land, she heard a demon there too. But that demon screamed, and it sent a plague of ants everywhere. There aren't any ants here. Just burned pieces of houses and the sound of barking and howling and people screaming. I hope Bongun's okay. I'm really scared for him. I saw his father running to the screaming noises with his bow and quiver earlier, and Bongun was running after him. I hope they're okay. I'm scared.  
  
Mother said we can't have a hot dinner tonight. We can only eat vegetables and pickled fish and - UGH - red-paste covered roots. I HATE red paste. I don't know if it's even called that, I just know it's red and it tastes so terrible. Like spicy, but not, and kinda gritty and like vomit. Ugh. I guess I should go help her make dinner. Maybe I can convince her to forget the red paste.  
  
Munak 3~  
  
"Mother, remember when the demon awoke, and we couldn't cook for three nights because the smoke would attract the demon, and I refused to eat that nasty red paste and got so hungry? And when the demon was gone, you cooked a boar and I ate a whole leg and got sick for a week?" Munak said, smiling as she turned the page.  
  
Her mother laughed slightly, straightening the braid a little. "Yes, I remember that. Bongun teased you and said you were going to turn into a boar, and you stole your father's arrow file and filed down your teeth so they wouldn't become tusks."  
  
Munak laughed, closing the book and hugging it. "Yeah.. but everything was weird after the demon came. He always had to leave because someone or another at the palace wanted him, and then they got him engaged to HER..."  
  
Her mother kissed her hair and began tying a white ribbon around the end. "Your father and I were here when he became the chief. We'd just been married, and a boy here beat the prince to death. The chief then didn't care for his son anyway, so he named his son's murderer prince in his place. That's why the current Chief has no wife; she was heartbroken over being forced to marry her love's murderer, and took her own life after her daughter was born. The Chief never knew anything about respecting other people's belongings, Munak. I guess after getting rewarded for murder, he figured he could do it to other people as well and get away with it. I'm proud of you for standing up to keep Bongun, dear."  
  
Munak nodded, slipping her diary in the pocket of her dress and hugging her mother. "The princess is going to cheat, Mother, I know she is. But I'll do my very best to defeat her. I promise, I'll try to come home as soon as I can."  
  
Her mother smiled, wiping her eyes. "Be careful, dear," she said, helping her daughter into the tight overskirt. "I know Bongun is worth a lot to you, but I don't want you to die."  
  
Munak smiled, helping her mother up and giving her the mirror and jewelry chest. "I know, Mother. I'll be careful" she said, helping her mother out of the house. Looking to the west, she sat down on the steps, watching her mother walk back to the Kuman tribe's home. "Thirty minutes.."  
  
XXI  
  
High on a hill overlooking the town, Bongun stood, staring at a grave before him. A statue stood on the grave, marking who lay there and why. It showed a handsome man, firing an arrow up. The detail on the statue was impressive; his determined and courageous expression, the tribal emblems on his clothes, even his long greyish blue hair, pulled back tightly, was highly detailed. At the warrior's feet was a gravestone, with elegant script reading-  
  
Prince Hosang  
  
Lord of Kuman  
  
During the command of Chief Sun-Kwai  
  
he fought the demon of Payon  
  
mortally wounding the terrific beast  
  
Bongun had come here every week since that horrible day. Sometimes for advice, but mostly to just sit and stare up at his father's statue in awe. His beloved father, who had taught him everything about martial arts, upon learning that Bongun had no skill in archery. The man who'd married an exiled princess of Glast Heim, and knew more about the world than anyone else.   
  
~"Bongun, come here."  
  
He looked up from the dead wolf he was tenderizing for his mother. "What is it?"  
  
Hosang, the Lord of Kuman, smiled and beckoned him over. He cracked open the gate, and gestured to Bongun. He peeked through, seeing the young lady Tenmu not far away, playing with some other girls from a servant tribe. "Your friend Munak, yes?" Hosang said, smiling. When his son nodded, he continued, "Since her birth, you two have been betrothed. It fills me with pride to see that my son gets along so well with his future bride. She's ten years old now, Bongun. Take good care of that girl."  
  
He looked again through the gate, watching Munak run back to her house, then sit outside with a book. He'd always felt a special deep caring for her, but hadn't known it was fated to be so. Bongun smiled and pressed his hand against the gate, wanting to run out there and scoop her up, cuddle her tight forever more.  
  
A woman's scream pierced the air and Hosang shoved Bongun aside, flinging open the gate. A woman ran in, blood pouring from a deep gash in her forehead. "Lord Kuman! My husband, Lord Tannyo-!"  
  
Lady Kuman rushed out, wiping her wet hands on her apron. "Lady Tannyo, what happened?!"  
  
Lady Tannyo screamed again, falling into the other woman's arms and sobbing hysterically. Somewhere on the other side of the village, not far from the palace, the sound of bells and barking began to fill the air. Lady Tannyo glanced up, looking back fearfully at the noise, then ran into the house, screaming about a demon. Hosang grabbed his quiver from the step and his Gakkung from the hook by the door, running out the gate. Bongun grabbed his hat and gave chase, but was soon stopped by his father shooting at him. The arrow grazed his arm and he yelled, falling to his knees. "GET BACK INSIDE WITH YOUR MOTHER, BOY, THIS IS NO PLACE FOR YOU!" Hosang shouted, then turned and ran into the now-forming crowd around the demon. Bongun tried to stand, but the pain in his arm was too great; he guessed it was one of his father's poisoned arrows, though probably not on purpose. Looking up, he watched helplessly as the demon slammed a huge golden bell through the crowd, clearing a wide swath and leaving blood and corpses everywhere. Hosang drew back a shining holy arrow, shouting a blessing and firing it at the demon. It struck her in the chest and she screamed, falling back a bit, then raising her bell one more time.  
  
Bongun shook his head. Memories about everything were flooding back to him, as they always did. Curling up on the ground, he looked up at his father's avatar, rubbing tears from his eyes. "Father, tonight I'm going to watch Munak and the princess fight and it's all my fault. One of them will die because of me. I don't know what to do. If I support Munak, then I betray my village. If I support the princess, then I betray the person I most love. Father, please tell me what I should do.." he sobbed, pulling a scroll from his jacket. He stared at it, tears coming to his eyes. It was the first painting he'd ever done of Munak, on her ninth birthday. She was so adorable and innocent then, and it pained him to see how much she'd changed.  
  
The ground rumbled under him, and he looked up, realizing it was already almost time. Stuffing the scroll back in his pocket, he bowed and excused himself from his father's grave, then ran down the hill to the sacred warrior grounds near the temple. The time had come, and he finally knew what to do. 


	8. Chapters 22 to 24

XXII  
  
Patience did not come easily to Sohee. She'd gotten there a good twenty minutes before sunset, and stood in the warrior ground, her knife hidden in her dress. She contemplated the hallowed earth she now saw; this was where the demon first killed innocent people. This was where most battles in the many civil wars were fought. Past duels had been won and lost there. Trees and small bushes grew, drinking the nutrients from the years of spilled blood. There were a few houses here as well; most were the ruined homes of the caretakers of the ground. Others were priest-homes, or places for traveling monks to stay. It was a place rarely seen by the common folk; as far as the temple and the royal family were concerned, common blood was too dirty and rotten to be spilled here, nor to ever feel the prescence of so many notables. The first chief, of the Payon family, had died here in bloody battle. A carved stone marked where the martyr of the temple had been executed by the Glast Heim soldiers, long before they were forced out and the native religion was reinstated. Kicking at the dirt, she saw a kaledioscope of stones; poisonous violet, burning red, rusty iron, the glint of silver here and there, all remnants of arrows used in battles long ago. She sighed. If not even Bongun turned up, how could she possibly claim him without her father learning of her bitter humiliation?  
  
****  
  
Marisol stood at the balcony and waited. A long scroll lay before her on a pedestal. Her servants mopped sweat and blood from her body.  
  
She could still hear some of her knights carrying on, but- THERE! One of them had screamed, and now she could hear the cries of his Peco as well. In the distance there was rustling, and a soft bouncing noise. So the beast had it's minions.  
  
"God of blood, giver of fire, angel of wrath, demon of revenge, Lord of Vermilion, hear my cry.."  
  
****  
  
Munak began walking through the outskirts of the sacred warrior ground. Already, the earth was red in places, stained by blood. The trees grew strange here, and the area was permeated with a strange smell.  
  
She saw Bongun running to the ground, and ran to join him. As soon as she'd caught up to him, though, he stopped and grabbed her, kissing her tenderly. She made a noise, too shocked to do anything, and stared at him as he put her down. "Bongun.."  
  
"I'll fight for you, Munak. Don't risk your life. It's not worth it. We saved you so you could live, not so you could be brought down like this." Bongun said, clutching her hands.  
  
Munak gasped and grabbed his arm, running. "Oh my god, it's time!"  
  
****  
  
Angelring was happy, relaxing with her loving faithful and enjoying life on earth, until a drunken knight crashed her party.  
  
She now pursued the foolish knight, surrounded by twelve Poporings, with steadily more joining in. His Peco was no match for holy speed and revenge.   
  
Bursting out of the forest, she came to a jiggling halt. A woman stood on a strange tree-like thing. Before her, a huge ball of fire was slowly growing, taking shape, evolving into something terrible. Transfixed, she stared at it, as the poporings mauled the poor drunken knight. Had she had the ability to speak, she would've asked about it, but all she could do was watch and wonder.  
  
****  
  
Sohee turned, seeing Munak running in. She smiled. The foolish child was already worn out. She stood still, her back to a twisted and gnarled tree. Though it looked like her arms were folded, one arm was already in her dress, stroking the hilt of her knife. Her eyes flickered red, then went back to their lovely brown as Bongun ran in. He grabbed Munak, shouting something, and she made her move, first walking slowly to sneak up, then darting forward. She drew her knife, and shrieked, her blade hitting home..  
  
****  
  
Marisol shook uncontrollably. She'd never summoned the Lord of Vermilion before. He kept growing, a behemoth of flame and death. She could vaguely see the beast below; a strange pink creature with wings and a tiny halo. She wondered where it kept it's leaf of the Yggdrasil tree. Her voice shook as she recited the lines of ancient text, a forgotten language known only to this creature before her.  
  
The beast turned, and it stared at her, one large burning eye turned on her. Her voice died, and she instead felt it drawing the power from her body, her hands. Something was reciting it for her, but she was sure it couldn't be her.  
  
****  
  
Bongun growled, twisting the knife out of Sohee's hands. The pain was incredible, and he tried desperately to keep from passing out. He felt his senses being overwhelmed by pain. Whiteness replaced his vision, and he vaguely heard Munak screaming his name. He felt something shove his shoulder down, and rip the knife from his hands, and tried to open his mouth to warn Munak, but chills set in. He felt like his body was freezing, as he closed his eyes, unable to fight the unbelievable pain. Not a regular palace knife, something in his head said. She got that from the demon. This is what Father felt..  
  
****  
  
Munak couldn't stop screaming. Bongun just lay there, his skin turning blue rapidly. His eyes and mouth were open, but his eyes were clouded and unfocused, and no sound came from him. She could tell he was still alive by his shaking, but she didn't know how long that would last.  
  
Sohee's face was blacked by shadow. Only two cold, angry, red eyes showed. She lunged at Munak again, missing with her knife, and the littler girl stabbed the princess in the arm holding the knife, screaming. Sohee stumbled, then turned, not seeming to notice her wound. "Die.." she said, her voice warped as she lunged again.  
  
****  
  
Angelring snapped. Half her Poporings were dead, and the fire thing no longer looked interesting, instead it looked scary. She called her Poporings together and began to bounce straight towards the tree-like structure.  
  
****  
  
Marisol felt something inside tear, and her body jerked. Her legs gave out, and she grabbed the pedestal, before her arms collapsed too. The fireball swelled more, then a tongue of flame reached out, grabbing her and dragging her inside. Before being completely incinerated, she reflected that at least now her body would be totally cleaned of the Payon plague.  
  
The Lord of Vermilion, no longer having a caster, had no choice but to detonate. Slamming into the earth, it rapidly burned Angelring and her poporings, and shook everything in the area. The fortress was destroyed. Most of the knights were knocked off their Pecos, and said Pecos ran away in terror. Pillars of flame shot up, each in the image of the Lord himself. Most notably, the explosion rocked a fault line, that ran from just southeast of Prontera to the Payon river, and continued down to the sea. The Payon mountain, where Prince Hosang had found his resting place, was rocked by the shockwave traveling underground. The mountain began to crumble, dropping huge boulders everywhere.  
  
Munak kicked at Sohee's legs, and stabbed at her again. Sohee backed off a bit, and Munak fell, the tremors running through the ground. Sohee merely stood - no, FLOATED - in place, smiling wickedly. Terrified, Munak crawled over to Bongun, hugging him tightly and sobbing. She looked up, seeing the statues of the graves falling into the village, huge boulders crushing everything.   
  
Sohee jumped at her again, and this time, Munak grabbed her arm and kicked her in the ribs. The force was great enough to make Sohee drop her knife. Her face and eyes cleared, and she looked around frantically, grasping for the blade, then looking up. Screaming, she watched as a huge chunk of the mountain came down from the sky, propelled by a force greater than anything she'd ever known. Munak simply closed her eyes and embraced Bongun, and he shifted and hugged back slightly, the pain being replaced by the numbness of death.  
  
XXIII  
  
Deep inside the heart of the temple, a bell rang lightly.   
  
The ground seemed to cave in, and up jumped a girl. She wore shining golden fox skins on her chest, and fox paws on her limbs. Other than that and a hat made from a fox's head, she wore nothing. She carried a huge bell, though, and surrounding her were several golden foxes, each with nine tails.  
  
She looked up, confused. It was dark this time. There were no stars in the sky, neither. She touched her chest. The holy arrow that the human had shot at her had broken off, but no matter; the holiness had worn away ages ago, and it was now just a chunk of metal under her skin.  
  
She began wandering through the cave, surveying all she saw. She left the temple, and found herself on the sacred battleground. She winced. It looked like there had been a bloody battle here. A pretty young girl lay on the ground, her spine and neck broken from falling rocks. Her long black hair lay around her, and her beautiful lavender dress was stained with blood. Not far from her was a boy and a girl, hugging each other tightly in death. The boy was frozen solid, seemingly by the Princess's own power. Dried blood stuck through the girl's hair, from a large gash on her head, the result of more rocks. The Fox Princess picked up a knife from the first girl's hand. It hummed with her power, but had been wielded by someone far too weak to hold it. She gave it to one of her Ninetails, who barked around it and ran back to the temple. Sitting on a fallen rock, she contemplated what to do.  
  
Finally, she decided. She snapped her fingers and held up her hand, and the pretty girl in purple rose up from the ground. Standing, the princess led the levitated girl to the other side of the grounds, so she wouldn't attack the other girl. She lay her down on the ground, smiling and brushing her hair from her face, and gave her a weak rusty knife. She raised her bell over her and held it for several seconds, then rang it a few short times. The girl shimmered, then floated up, her body vanishing. She blinked at the princess, her eyes red.  
  
"Welcome to my cave, little girl. What's your name?" The Fox Princess asked, smiling.   
  
The other girl opened her mouth, then closed it and looked down, slightly confused. She gasped, then finally looked up. "Sohee.. my name is Sohee."  
  
The Princess grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sohee. This is your home now, you can wander this cave as you please. If any pathetic humans touch you, you can kill them. But kill nothing else here. Understood?"  
  
Sohee nodded and floated off, burying her face in her hands at intervals to cry. The Princess smiled and ran back to the other two, pushing them apart a little. She produced a paper, and cut their arms just a little, dipping a stick in the girl's arm first and writing on the scroll. Reading it over, she nodded and took a bottle of resin from a waiting Ninetails, smearing the sticky glue onto the scroll and smacking it onto the girl's hat. It fluttered and lay there for a while. Glancing at the boy, she frowned. His skin was frozen, and she wasn't really sure if he was dead or not. Taking a chance, she drew up a scroll with his blood as well, and stuck it to his hat too. While holding it down, she blinked at him, blushing. He was very handsome, and it was tragic that he'd meet such a terrible end.   
  
Looking away, she began petting one of her Ninetails, only to hear another bark and look over. The young man had sat up, and was looking cross-eyed at the scroll. Reaching up, he tore the bottom half off, the glue keeping the rest in place. She gasped and grabbed her bell. "Why did you do that, I was trying to bring you back!"  
  
He looked around. "What happened? Where are we?" he murmured, then looked over and screamed, grabbing the young girl. "Munak, wake up, please wake up!"  
  
The Princess blinked, confused. "The scroll takes time to work... I suppose you weren't dead afterall. No matter. This is my cave, the remnants of that human town Payon."  
  
He stood and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Why won't Munak wake up?! Where's Sohee? What happened?"  
  
She pushed him away and pointed. "Look, you fool. She's awake."  
  
It was true. Munak stood there, bouncing a little in place. Her cheeks were still flushed from the fever, and her eyes were clouded once more. She stared at them for a while, blinking, then bounced closer.  
  
The Princess held her hand up. "Stop there. You are the queen of the undead in this cave, young girl. You are dead as well; drink blood to preserve your beauty. Seek humans with their warm blood; other undead can give you nothing, and demon blood will kill you. Now go!"  
  
Munak nodded and bounced away, a soft moan pulling itself from her throat. The Princess smiled and looked at the boy. "So, what's your name, King of the Undead?"  
  
He glanced away. "Don't call me that, my name is Bongun."  
  
She smiled and bowed. "Alright, Bongun. You are very beautiful as well, go and keep that beauty, and protect Munak. The humans will come soon, so hurry!"  
  
He sighed and bounced away after Munak, calling her name. Sohee floated up, blinking. "Who was that, Princess?"  
  
The fox girl smiled. So the ghost-girl couldn't recognize him. "It's nothing for you to worry about. Go on."  
  
Bongun returned just as Sohee was leaving. He kept his hand tightly around Munak's wrist, and held her close. "Forgive me, I neglected to ask you.. what's your name?"  
  
The girl smiled at him and bowed, her bell ringing merrily. "My name is Moonlight Flower, and I am Queen of this town now. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm so happy to have friends now."  
  
XXIV  
  
June 10th, 39 years into the fifth century.  
  
Parras sat at a markedly different table than he had six months previous. King Tristam had aged so much in so little time. His youthful brown hair and sharp blue eyes were replaced by steadily greying hair and worn, sad blue-grey eyes. His name had been forever tarnished in Midgard's opinion. The king who murdered a city. Parras sat across from him, so he had the best view.  
  
Suzette Kafra looked different as well. She sported a scrunched-cloth headband and carried a book with her. She'd started a company in Prontera, hiring young towngirls to learn magic, how to warp people to far away lands and how to summon and sort many people's belongings.   
  
Morroc's new advisor's name was Rahan. He was much nicer and less demanding than Hamas. Unfortunately, because he was less demanding and more relaxed, crime had shot up in his city.  
  
Geffen had a new advisor too, and his name was Tornas. He was a soul wizard who couldn't cast anymore, the one survivor of a party into Geffen Tower. Because of his knowledge, though, he was deemed more competent than Marisol had been. Despite this, Marisol's name was engraved in Geffen history as the first wizardess to summon the Lord of Vermilion.  
  
Alberta had a new advisor, named Meigh. She was the daughter of a wealthy shipping empire, and had a lot of very good ideas for the port to become a center of commerce; however, since she talked so quietly, nothing was ever done.  
  
And Payon's new advisor was Sungmi, the former priestess/healer of the village and one of the few non-nobles to escape the destruction of the city.   
  
Sungmi was completeing a description of the status of Payon at the moment. "We're still trying to keep the Chief from suicide, but we've been having a hard time with it. No word yet on the status of most other noble families. The Kuman tribe is currently run by a lady, the youngest sister of the former lord. The Tenmu tribe is run by a girl who studies here, as her family was wiped out by the destruction. The Hango tribe-"  
  
Tristam raised his hand. "That's enough, Sungmi," he said, sighing. "There had to be a better way than just crushing them all. I've gone through it in my mind so many times. I can't figure out why we did that."  
  
When no one answered, he stood, slamming his fists on the table and turning. He leaned against the bookshelf in back, trying not to cry again.  
  
Tornas coughed and Tristam looked sharply at him. "Forgive me, your majesty... who was the one to come up with the idea of a landslide in the first place? That much was never made clear to me."  
  
Tristam sat back down heavily. "When containment was lost, I proposed destroying all roads to and from Payon. Marisol said that if we were going to destroy the roads, they'd use wolf-trails. She then suggested a landslide, and cited so many reasons for it that I just approved it. Something about birds carrying the plague, and other animals, and nothing but burial or fire would contain it."  
  
Tornas nodded. "Marisol was always like that, I studied with her in the tower. She hated everyone outside of Geffen, and I guess she hated Payon even more after she caught the plague. She's also fairly pushy, and liked to force people to do her bidding. She even forced our instructor to leave the class one day, after telling him he was incompetent and worthless. While the death of another wizard is regretful, I must say it was poetic justice."  
  
Tristam nodded and sighed again, looking at Meigh. "And the status for Alberta?"  
  
Meigh beamed and cleared her throat, though her voice was still soft. "We've explored the forest next to the town. We've found tree fairies, thief blobs, caterpillars and butterflies, and a few rabbits. It seems that we will have nothing to worry about. I propose putting one of the Kafra Company employees in the town to help sailors and other travelers."  
  
Tristam nodded, and gestured to Kafra. "You two may confer about that after the meeting." He said, writing something down on a paper.   
  
Parras tuned out everything else, flipping through a few papers. In response to the Payon plague, alchemists had been charged with finding a cure; the alchemist who found it would receive five million zeny, almost everything in the kingdom's treasury. He still had to go to the basement where people were testing the cures to see what their progress was. He also felt he should ask Sungmi later about Payon's rebuilding. He stopped and read over an old newspaper, from just six months ago, when it had first happened. The people had first been shocked, then when news leaked from Advisor Hamad's servants that Tristam had planned it all, there was an in depth investigation. People rioted, and called for the king to step down.  
  
  
  
Tristam finally stood and clapped his hands, ending the meeting. Parras stood, and left the room, carrying his many scrolls and papers with him as usual. As he wandered down the hall to the main part of the palace, he looked outside, at the bustling city. Perhaps the demon of Payon really was sealed away now. He smiled at the thought, then turned and began walking down the hall, a nagging thought in his mind, thinking he heard the laughter of a young girl, and a soft bouncing noise.  
  
"poing, poing, poing.."  
  
Owari~ 


End file.
